Month: February 2012

Elliott is almost 5 months old now and we have had a reset of his sleeping patterns this week. Prior to the last week or so, we had been very lucky parents with him on a great sleeping schedule, but that all came crashing down over the last several days and it appears to be attributed to a thing called 4 Month Regression. I should say that the internet has a name for everything that new parents go through– which is not a bad thing, but it does have a tendency to make you wonder if these are actual ailments or if it’s yet another example of mankind’s need to have a terminology for everything.

I will say that what they are saying about seems logical. At this stage of life, there is so much going on inside of a baby’s brain that they begin to seek out adult sleep patterns. When they are newborn’s, they are basically in survival mode, eating and sleeping most of the day away. This was certainly true of our little biscuit.

Over the last several weeks, we have a totally different child– we now have a kid that you really don’t want to leave or do anything but simply play with him and watch him smile and smile and smile. It is a wonderful time. Except that he doesn’t sleep like he used to– he is no longer wearing out at the drop of a hat. He now craves stimulation and likes to be active. When he does sleep, it’s no longer an hour or two at a time, but about 20 minutes and then he is fully awake and ready to go again. Stimulating to watch– exhausting to keep up with.

Evening sleep schedule was very touchy the last couple of days, but it looks like that is reverting back to some level of normalcy now. We made some minor changes which makes him feel a little better about sleeping– when we got back from Germany, I was all about putting him in his crib to get him used to sleeping in his own room– but he got a case of the croup and we reverted back to the pack n play so we could watch over him closely. Then, when he recovered, we put him back in his room and something must have really scared him because he wakes from a dead sleep and screams holy hell now-which led us to where we are today… searching for an answer–

Of course, there is not a clear solution– it’s not that easy! 🙂 We do think that letting him sleep in our room in the pack n play does seem to offer him a level of comfort that is helping us work past this problem and it also allows us for a little sleep.. which I must now get to.. Any advice if you have been through it would be appreciated!

I will admit, I haven’t had the best lifetimes of presidents. First off, I was born during the Nixon years and we all agree that guy was a terrible president. Then along comes Ford, who basically had to step in because of Nixon’s impeachment. Then came Carter, who did the majority of his work when he was out of office. Nice guy, whom I have the opportunity to meet and engage with three times in my life. If you look at what him and Clinton have accomplished after they were president, I think you would see some amazing men.

Carter’s lack of ability to get anything real accomplished led to the start of the Bush reign in the White House, starting with Reagan, who basically campaigned against the Democrats marking them as socialists. It was a tactic that I will see again and again in my lifetime. Regan and his trickle down economics keep a number of people celebrating his life and accomplishments as if he were a founding father, when in reality he was a sub-par actor who would have had his ass kicked by John Wayne, should they ever cross paths. When I went to Washington State University, I was simply astonished at how people would bring up Reagan policies as if he WERE a founding father of some new republic. Before that, I had likened “Dutch” as the guy who had sold the Afghan army billions of dollars of weapons because it was the Soviets and the Iranians that we was REALLY worried about.

His “forgetfulness” of course led us to believe that his amazing Vice President, George HW Bush, was the mastermind behind it all– so we gave this guy a whopping 8 years of presidency after the 4 amazing years of Reagan. HW, I honestly don’t remember much from that period of my life, except the amazment that he won a re-election bid.

Then along came Clinton, who, aside from his penis and Monica Lewinsky, did a lot of things I liked, appreciated and understood. Politics seemed logicial and had the interest of the people at hand. At the end of it, we had a SURPLUS and the internet age was born. I met Clinton, in ’95, in Yellowstone, where he was vacationing with his family. We met at Canyon Lodge, where I was working at the time as the Activities Manager. For a long time that summer there was talk that Clinton and family were going to go out on the Old West Cookout, but that got cancelled after I made a side comment that the terrorists were on it recently and had left an unfavorable comment card. The secret service agent, laughed heartily, but I guess Clinton’s personal detail didnt get the joke/didn’t think it was all that funny. I still remember that agent giving me the full tour of the outfit they wore– it was a pair of LL Bean khaki pants with a .44 in the side, and this “fly-fishing” vest that was equipped with grenades and small and medium range pistols. Locked and loaded.

My time with the president was very short lived– a meet and greet in the Canyon parking lot and then myself and a couple of friends were in the grocery store in Jackson when he and Ted Turned rolled through — neither of them were very pleasant during that meeting, especially after I said we had already met at Canyon. One view per person, per trip, please.

After slick willy, we got my vote for the worst president. The man who changed it all and then was relected because everyone was so aftraid that we would get someone even worse–the man who seemingly managed to fuck everything that he possibly could, Mr. George W. Bush. When he was elected, I swore to go back to college and then when he was re-elected, I swore to leave the country (and I did), the man who couldn’t manage to do anything correctly. I hope that the history books really do not attempt to cover his ass for all of the crazy things that happened during his “tenure” as president. Maybe we are all still too close to it to really asses it, but judging by how you see so little of him now, I think the world is with me on this one. I think about the world when I think of George W– I think of how the world always viewed us as the country of fairness, of rules and law and an economy where anyone could do anything they wanted if they just applied themselves, America would find a way. Bush stripped America of that facade because of not who he was, but moreso HOW he was…. and then, like many other terrible presidents, we rewarded his idiocy, he amazing lack of diplomocy and understanding of the global empire at his feet, we reward him with 4 more years– a chance for him to sink the country deeper into this dark space we are in now…

..and then came Obama.

Obama, who will one day win the greatest campaign ever produced– a campaign so popular that the Republican party, knowing there was no way in hell America was going to let them destroy things for a dozen years straight, throws two of the most worthless people in the party at him: John McCain, a one foot out of the grave war vet and Sarah Palin, a two-bit saloon from the University of Idaho. I would love to meet the person that put the odds on that couple in Vegas…

Regardless, now we see just how amazing Obama is– which (and I say this even though I will 100% support him in the election) isn’t all that impressive– but again, you see the republican’s doing the same thing they did before– the real republican leadership doesnt want in now– they know that there is still a long way before they can get their kind of guy into the White House– what is their kind of guy? A guy kind of like Obama is perfect. Obama preaches about the shrinking middle class, but another 4 years and there wont be a middle class, so that alone would be a walkaway for any republican. So we will continue to see the worst of the best– and if you don’t think what I say is true– next time consider a Political Apprentice where all the Presidents that are still alive get to be on the show. Who would win?

Happy President’s Day– and here’s to better leadership by the time Elliott is of voting age. By then it will most likely be a Chinese guy.

I will admit, I haven’t had the best lifetimes of presidents. First off, I was born during the Nixon years and we all agree that guy was a terrible president. Then along comes Ford, who basically had to step in because of Nixon’s impeachment. Then came Carter, who did the majority of his work when he was out of office. Nice guy, whom I have the opportunity to meet and engage with three times in my life. If you look at what him and Clinton have accomplished after they were president, I think you would see some amazing men.

Carter’s lack of ability to get anything real accomplished led to the start of the Bush reign in the White House, starting with Reagan, who basically campaigned against the Democrats marking them as socialists. It was a tactic that I will see again and again in my lifetime. Regan and his trickle down economics keep a number of people celebrating his life and accomplishments as if he were a founding father, when in reality he was a sub-par actor who would have had his ass kicked by John Wayne, should they ever cross paths. When I went to Washington State University, I was simply astonished at how people would bring up Reagan policies as if he WERE a founding father of some new republic. Before that, I had likened “Dutch” as the guy who had sold the Afghan army billions of dollars of weapons because it was the Soviets and the Iranians that we was REALLY worried about.

His “forgetfulness” of course led us to believe that his amazing Vice President, George HW Bush, was the mastermind behind it all– so we gave this guy a whopping 8 years of presidency after the 4 amazing years of Reagan. HW, I honestly don’t remember much from that period of my life, except the amazment that he won a re-election bid.

Then along came Clinton, who, aside from his penis and Monica Lewinsky, did a lot of things I liked, appreciated and understood. Politics seemed logicial and had the interest of the people at hand. At the end of it, we had a SURPLUS and the internet age was born. I met Clinton, in ’95, in Yellowstone, where he was vacationing with his family. We met at Canyon Lodge, where I was working at the time as the Activities Manager. For a long time that summer there was talk that Clinton and family were going to go out on the Old West Cookout, but that got cancelled after I made a side comment that the terrorists were on it recently and had left an unfavorable comment card. The secret service agent, laughed heartily, but I guess Clinton’s personal detail didnt get the joke/didn’t think it was all that funny. I still remember that agent giving me the full tour of the outfit they wore– it was a pair of LL Bean khaki pants with a .44 in the side, and this “fly-fishing” vest that was equipped with grenades and small and medium range pistols. Locked and loaded.

My time with the president was very short lived– a meet and greet in the Canyon parking lot and then myself and a couple of friends were in the grocery store in Jackson when he and Ted Turned rolled through — neither of them were very pleasant during that meeting, especially after I said we had already met at Canyon. One view per person, per trip, please.

After slick willy, we got my vote for the worst president. The man who changed it all and then was relected because everyone was so aftraid that we would get someone even worse–the man who seemingly managed to fuck everything that he possibly could, Mr. George W. Bush. When he was elected, I swore to go back to college and then when he was re-elected, I swore to leave the country (and I did), the man who couldn’t manage to do anything correctly. I hope that the history books really do not attempt to cover his ass for all of the crazy things that happened during his “tenure” as president. Maybe we are all still too close to it to really asses it, but judging by how you see so little of him now, I think the world is with me on this one. I think about the world when I think of George W– I think of how the world always viewed us as the country of fairness, of rules and law and an economy where anyone could do anything they wanted if they just applied themselves, America would find a way. Bush stripped America of that facade because of not who he was, but moreso HOW he was…. and then, like many other terrible presidents, we rewarded his idiocy, he amazing lack of diplomocy and understanding of the global empire at his feet, we reward him with 4 more years– a chance for him to sink the country deeper into this dark space we are in now…

..and then came Obama.

Obama, who will one day win the greatest campaign ever produced– a campaign so popular that the Republican party, knowing there was no way in hell America was going to let them destroy things for a dozen years straight, throws two of the most worthless people in the party at him: John McCain, a one foot out of the grave war vet and Sarah Palin, a two-bit saloon from the University of Idaho. I would love to meet the person that put the odds on that couple in Vegas…

Regardless, now we see just how amazing Obama is– which (and I say this even though I will 100% support him in the election) isn’t all that impressive– but again, you see the republican’s doing the same thing they did before– the real republican leadership doesnt want in now– they know that there is still a long way before they can get their kind of guy into the White House– what is their kind of guy? A guy kind of like Obama is perfect. Obama preaches about the shrinking middle class, but another 4 years and there wont be a middle class, so that alone would be a walkaway for any republican. So we will continue to see the worst of the best– and if you don’t think what I say is true– next time consider a Political Apprentice where all the Presidents that are still alive get to be on the show. Who would win?

Happy President’s Day– and here’s to better leadership by the time Elliott is of voting age. By then it will most likely be a Chinese guy.

Today, you turned four months. So hard to believe, really. In some ways its hard to believe that it has only been four months, yet in most ways it is harder to believe it has already been four months. We are 1/3 of the way through your first year of life and everyone keeps saying that the really fun time is right around the corner.

The first three months of your life were a big change for our lives as well. The world itself becomes much smaller and for the first time in my life, that is ok. We are settling back into life after a long trip to Germany to see your relatives and then the biggest snow storm I have ever seen in Seattle came shortly after we got back.. The entire city seemed like it was shut down for several days and the first wave came when I was trying to throw a surprise party for your mom’s 30th birthday– but the storm scared everyone inside. We got to spend A LOT of time with you that week and then you came down with your first sickness– which was, at the time, a pretty scary moment for your mom and I…

It was the middle of the night. You hadn’t slept well, so we were sleeping very lightly as it was. It was also the first week you were sleeping in your crib (like a big boy should), so we were keeping one eye open, should you need anything. I think I heard it first, a cough that was very distinct– followed by a Darth Vader like wheezing.. I want to say like a whistle pig, but it wasn’t really like that–but whistle pig is such a cool term I had to throw it in there. It ended up being this thing called Croup.. which is a common sickness with a virus thrown in for good measure. I should mention, as a side note, that all of this was going down on my birthday. First thing in the morning, we were on the phone to the doctor to see what we could possibly do.

The doctor prescribed a steroid and said you would pretty much clear up in 24 hours or we should take you to the ER! So that was an interesting plan. Steroid or Emergency Room. That registered pretty clearly. Luckily, you cleared up and saved us the ER nebulizer…

Since then, you’re sleep schedule has been off, so ours has too.

But, in spite of all that, it has been a great four months– which is soon to turn into four years at the rate we are going. Hard to think of life before you and it’s even harder to think of life without you. Everyday now, you stay awake longer, smile more and we have to find more time in the day just because it is so amazing to watch you grow and develop. We are very lucky to have you with us– you make us grow almost as much as you are growing…